"You can't cancel Medicare Part A without cancelling ALL SSDI benefits"

-"You can't cancel Medicare Part A without cancelling ALL SSDI benefits"

-And you cannot have state-run health insurance in Massachusetts (Commonwealth Care) if you have Medicare Part A (which doesn't cover normal doctors visits).

-And you cannot have Medicare Part B (covers normal doctors visits) back if you cancelled it. (And Masshealth recommends that you cancel "Medicare" to keep their insurance and they don't mention the SSDI part.)

I'm saying so for a couple reasons -

1. So no one goofs up like me and cancels Medicare Part B, which will result in your not having any insurance* that covers a normal doctor's visit (ex. if you sprain your ankle, catch a bad flu, etc.).

*You'll be excluded from both state insurance in Massachusetts AND Medicare Part B, if you cancel Medicare Part B and need to keep SSDI benefits.

2. If anyone knows of any options for me, please let me know. I need to see my doctors. I also have an upcoming CDR (continuing disability review) where I'll be penalized for not seeing my doctors.

Its typical when you qualify for ssdi you are automatically placed on Medicare part A and B .. You might what to ask them why your not on part B... makes no sense to be honest.

Good luck

I'm not on Part B because I cancelled that, per Commonwealth Care's advice. Back in July, I was told that if I cancel Medicare that could stay on my current insurance plan (run by the state). Trouble is no one mentioned that cancelling Medicare Part A means cancelling SSDI benefits. So, now I can't have my previous state-run insurance or Part B back either.

I didn't know that about medicare A and ssdi. The whole thing is greek to me.

Who would ever know or guess that without being told or warned? That's why I chose that for my title. Certainly, I want help, but I also want to warn others. This is a crappy "crack" in the system.

I am sorry to hear you were given this advice. I would contact Medicare back. I thought you could reelect to get Medicare B back during the open enrollment period, I think it is in October or November; however, you may have to pay a higher premium for Part B. If I have this wrong, I apologize but a friend did something similar and was able to get it back.; this was a few years ago, perhaps the policy has changed. The other option perhaps then is to find an individual policy or medicare supplement. I wish you well in trying to find something.

Medicare is a Federal program so Massachusetts and your advice don't sound quite right, I would call your Medicare (in Massachusetts) numbers and get the straight scoop, get things straightened out:

http://www.massresources.org/medicare.html

If you cancelled SSDI then that could be a problem but the Medicare Parts A and B insurances are taken out of one's Social Security payments automatically or can be added on, etc. bought along with C and D, etc. Massachusetts doesn't really have anything to do with it.

Thanks Fresia. I looked into this by calling Medicare. Medicare said that if there's no delay and if they are not at all backed up, July 2015 would be the soonest I could get re-enrolled.

Their reason why is that while open enrollment begins in January, anyone who CANCELS has an additional 6 month waiting period before coverage kicks in. They do NOT care if you cancelled due to receiving inaccurate information or incomplete information as I did.

Maybe I wasn't clear*: I was a member of Commonwealth Care (which is Massachusetts public health insurance) with $40 premiums. Then I received notification from the feds that I would be automatically enrolled in Medicare A and B with >$100 premiums since I was on SSDI. Around that time, I was also notified by Commonwealth Care that I cannot keep both insurance plans (you cannot keep both Commonwealth Care AND Medicare). Commonwealth Care is cheaper, so I (called Commonwealth Care and) asked how I can stay on Commonwealth Care. Commonwealth Care told me that if I cancel Medicare, I can stay on their plan. So I called Medicare and asked to cancel, and sent in a cancellation letter as advised in that call. (At this point in the story, no one had mentioned yet that cancelling Medicare A means cancelling and paying back all SSDI benefits.) Weeks later, I find out that Medicare B was cancelled but not Medicare A. I'm puzzled about why. My first concern was that I might have lost Commonwealth Care. So, I called Commonwealth Care and found out that my Commonwealth Care plan was indeed cancelled because their database (which is shared with the feds) showed that I was enrolled in Medicare A. Then I called Medicare and found out that I cannot cancel Medicare A without losing and paying back all SSDI benefits (this news is completely new to me). I also learn that Medicare A only covers hospitalizations, and does NOT cover regular doctor's visits. Thus, I am stuck without any insurance that covers normal trips to the doctor (that don't involve being "hospitalized"). No Medicare B AND no Commonwealth Care.

Hope this makes sense now!

*Health insurance plans mentioned in above:
Commonwealth Care = Funded by State of Massachusetts
Medicare A = Federal Funding, ONLY covers hospitalizations (NOT regular doctor's visits)
Medicare B = Federal Funding, covers doctors visits

The website says Commonwealth care is cancelling, period, and those accounts are going to masshealth if eligible. Because of obamacare. Man, i dont know how you got yourself into this mess! Next time, check it out with somebody, even somebody here.

I would mark it on my calendar for date with Medicare on Jan 1st then. It must be the medicare supplements/companion plans that the enrollment is in November then. Sorry about that. . At least you can pick it back up next year though. Perhaps there is an individual policy you can pick up meanwhile to supplement it? I would call around or go online for plan information and rates. Hang in there meanwhile.

You can still enroll in Medicare Part B, when the enrollment period for that begins. You will pay a penalty, in the form of a higher premium, but you can still get back in. And you definitely need to do that. The sooner you do it, the less your premium will be. More than likely, the state of Massachsetts will pay that premium for you . . . eventually . . . if your income and assets are limited. You might have to pay a couple of months out of your pocket, but most of that will be reimbursed to you, if you are below a certain income level. You need to have a little patience. No state in the USA does more than your state to help its low income citizens access all the healthcare they need. In that regard, you are lucky. Also, you live in a state where cost of living is quite high. Massachusetts is quite decent in what they consider to be the income level below which you are eligible for state help. So that is lucky for you, too.

Whatever state employee you talked to way back when did an awful job of explaining things. Often these folks are just clerks. You ended up believing a lot of things that are just plain false. Someone at your local Income Support office should be available to help you get all of this stuff straight.

Thanks, I just wish there were some way to get insurance if I cannot even come up with the money to make the payment for Medicare Part B each month. I know that they will pay me back if I pay initially, but I cannot even make those payments to begin with. This has been my problem for a while now. I guess this is just too bad for me.

Just decide that you have to make the payments. You are breaking the law if you don't because all Americans are now legally obligated to have health insurance. Just do it. You may have to give something else up, but that's just that. It's your responsibility to make that payment, so just accept that. Once you sign up, the money will be automatically taken out of your check. Then you make do with what is left. If you are not getting a section 8 housing subsidy, then go sign up for that.

There are a number of ways that low-income people, like you and me, can get helped. Apply for all of them and, eventually, you will manage okay.

My SSDI check is less than my cost of rent plus student loan payment. I've been on the section 8 waiting list for over 5 years now. Neither cost or rent or loan payments can be reduced, I've been working on that for years with professional help.

What would happen if you defaulted on the student loan? I just looked that up. Check this link:
What Happens If You Default on Your Student Loans | Nolo.com. It says they can't take more than 15% of your income.

Also disability is usually judgment proof..don't know if it is for student loans any more than for the IRS but there should be a way of getting the student loans waived because of disability. A friend of mine just fought forn2 years to get them waived for ger granddaughter she has care of & who became disabled after accumulating student loans. It took professional help to get them waived but worth it.